Only 50 weeks after losing in Washington on an embarrassing, walk-off "hail Mary" pass, a new kicker helps the visiting Bears strike back.
As ABC-TV's Joe Buck described to a national TV audience on Monday Night Football, "And here is Jake Moody. Snap a bit high. The kick is ...GOOD! And the Bears win it!"
"Jake Moody a hero tonight!"
Who's in a good 'Moody', now?
His 38 yard field goal as time expires caps a 25-24 Bears win.
"It feels amazing, obviously." A soft-spoken Moody says. "Hitting a game winner is always a good time. Doing it for a new team, in my first game it's huge."
And he spreads the credit to his blockers, and long snapper Scott Daly and punter Tory Taylor for their work last night and bringing him along during the previous month of practice.
"Shout out to the O-line. Shout out to Scott (Daly) and Tory (Taylor). They've been making my job really easy out here. And the transition has been really smooth."
"Glad to be part of a team like this."
Moody was cut by the 49ers and picked up by the Bears in early-September.
Yesterday he was promoted from the practice squad only seven hours before the game in Washington to sub for injured Cairo Santos. He nails 4 of 5 attempts, another blocked, in his team debut.
The Bears had a 13-0 lead. Fell behind 24-16 early in the fourth quarter. Then scored the last nine points of the game, on D'Andre Swift's 55-yard catch-and-run touchdown (two-point conversion unsuccessful) and Moody's game-winning kick.
"I think it says a lot about our locker room right now." Head coach Ben Johnson says. "They're not just believing, but now they're starting to understand that, 'man, if this thing's close in the fourth quarter then someone's going to step up and make a play for us.' And we had a number of guys here in this fourth quarter that did that."
Despite 9 penalties for 84 yards, Johnson's Bears fight back to win their third game in-a-row ...for the first time in 5 years.
The key play before the game winning field goal is the Bears Nahshon Wright falling on a fumble by Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels.
"Time to go win the game." Bears Q-B Caleb Williams says. "And not give the ball back to them again."
He was out-played by Daniels for NFC Offensive Rookie of the Year honors last season, but Williams gets the best of Daniels last night, driving the visitors 36 yards on nine plays to set up Moody's game winning 38-yard field goal.
"It was awesome." Williams says. Admitting Moody has been more of a stranger than a teammate. "I didn't necessarily fully know who he was when he got here."
"So being able to hear about his story. Being able to see him work. And kind of have this moment. It's a big moment. And for him (Moody) to go out there and come through, kudos to him and we love him for that."
The (3-2) Bears have as many wins as the first place (3-1-1) Packers.
They're already about 5-1/2 point favorites hosting the (1-5) Saints Sunday at Soldier Field
Wide receiver D.J. Moore stayed behind in Washington, hospitalized for more tests on an injury suffered during the Commanders game.
Ben Johnson is scheduled to meet reporters